A Two Way Blessing
by WhatATangledWebSheWeaves
Summary: Megumi has been living with the Vizards for almost 50 years and has been their eyes and ears around Karakura during that time. When a certain strawberry becomes a Shinigami, will the following events tear her life apart? ShinjiOC Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Full summary:**

Megumi has been living with the Vizards for almost 50 years and has been their eyes and ears around Karakura during that time. She found love and family during her time with them; but when a certain strawberry becomes a Shinigami, will the following events tear her life apart? ShinjiOC Rated M for language and situations.

**First [actual] chapter posted! XDD *squeeeee* Okay, forgive that moment of temporary insanity and enjoy the story~~**

_It kills me not to know this  
>But I've all but just forgotten<br>What the color of her eyes were  
>And her scars or how she got them<em>

_As the telling signs of age rain down  
>A single tear is dropping<br>Through the valleys of an aging face  
>That this world has forgot-<em>*click*

A delicate hand rested for a moment on the iPod boom box that also doubled as an alarm clock. The owner of said hand sat up slowly, using her other hand to cover a tear-inducing yawn. She looked at her nightstand with tired eyes. Savior by Rise Against was the song she used for her alarm on Mondays…it was Monday…

"Kuso!" she screamed, jumping out of her bed and rummaging through her schoolbag. She finally found her cell phone and flipped it open. She had 15 unanswered messages and 10 missed calls. Two messages and a missed call were from her classmate Orihime Inoue, three messages and a missed call from another classmate Ichigo Kurosaki, two messages from yet another classmate Tatsuki Arisawa, three messages and two missed calls from unknown numbers. Which meant that the last five messages and six missed calls were from….

"Kuso…" she said once again as she scrolled through those last five messages.

'_Are you coming anytime soon?_' That one was sent around noon, almost two hours past when she had told her adopted 'family' that she would visit.

'_Are you there, Megumi-chan?_' Obviously not…

'_I swear, snaggle-tooth here's gonna kill me if you don't show up!_' Megumi stifled a laugh before she noted the time that message had been sent at. Roughly around 4. She winced, imagining said snaggle-tooth's temper and what it could entail.

'_Megumi? Seriously, is something wrong?_' Again, Megumi couldn't help but wince. Anytime, and she meant_ anytime_, this person called her by name with no honorifics, it meant he was genuinely worried; she hated worrying him.

'_I'm coming over there right now._' That one was sent at 11:30-ish last night. She remembered that she had finished her class project around 10 then had showered and climbed into bed by 10:30. But now that she focused she could feel faint traces of his reiatsu leading from her bedroom door to beside her bed and onto her…forehead? She blushed slightly as she gently touched the area of skin he had assuredly kissed. She hastily typed a reply, not really caring if she woke him up. As soon as she hit the 'Send' button, she grabbed her uniform out of her closet and ran down to the bathroom to change and fix her hair.

'_Srry I didn't visit yesterday. Everything's good except for the fact that the sadistic English teacher from school wanted a 5 page report done before class today DX  
>Everyone's okay, right? Hiyorin didn't go on a rampage and kill everyone, did she? :D<br>I'll come over after school today. Promise.  
>P.S. Shinji-kun, you and I will have WORDS, ya hear me? ;3 Luvs ya<em>  
><em>~~Ya'll's Megumi-chan<em>

**Yea, I know it was short ^^" But trust me the next few chapters wil be MUCH longer. Stay tuned and while you're at it, review please ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay...you know how I promised longer chapters? Well this chapter is FIVE times longer than the last one so I kept the promise ^^ Enjoy~~**

Megumi turned onto the street that hosted the Kurosaki Clinic. She walked around to its back door and knocked a few times. A few seconds passed before the door was opened by an apron-wearing Yuzu, who was holding a rice-covered spatula in her free hand. The younger girl's eyes lit up with recognition.

"Ohayo, Megumi-chan!"

"Ohayo, Yuzu-chan," Megumi returned cordially, glancing over Yuzu's shoulder into the kitchen, where she could see Karin eating breakfast. "Is Kurosaki-kun still here?"

"Hai. Come on in while I tell him you're here."

"Arigatou gozaimasu." Megumi stepped inside as Yuzu shut the door and ran upstairs. Karin glanced over her shoulder at Megumi then returned to eating, offering a slight wave of her hand as a greeting. Megumi nodded in her direction and then took to looking at the gigantic poster of Masaki Kurosaki, dully noting that it was in top condition, as usual.

Heavy footfalls drew her attention to the stairs as the tall, lanky form of her classmate appeared at the base, still buttoning his uniform's shirt. "Yo, Tsumugiya-chan. What brings you here?"

Just as she opened her mouth to respond, a mass of white barreled into Ichigo from the top of the stairs and trapped Ichigo in a headlock. "She came to express her deep and undying affection for you, Ichigo! Am I right, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi sweat-dropped; she liked Ichigo as a friend but never a boyfriend. There was only one man who held that position for her. She watched a Ichigo flipped his dad onto his back and shouted, "Stupid goat face! Why'd ya have to attack me?"

"Your guard was down, son!" Isshin countered, standing up and straightening his doctor jacket. "I'm not gonna pass up an opportunity like that."

Ichigo scowled then turned to Megumi, saying, "Sorry about him."

Megumi waved it away. "Don't worry about it. My family's just as crazy, if not crazier."

Ichigo just nodded as Isshin shouted, "Your guard's-!" He was met with a faceful of Ichigo's elbow.

As his father writhed on the floor, Ichigo slung his book bag over his shoulder. "Let's just talk on the way to school."

"Sure!" Megumi chirped as Ichigo got the door. "See you later, Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan!"

"Bye, Megumi-chan!" "See ya." The farewells disappeared as Ichigo shut the door behind them and she shivered in the chill January morning air despite her winter uniform.

Ichigo began walking at a brisk pace, travelling towards the end of the street opposite of where Megumi had turned onto it. Megumi had to trot to keep up with his longer strides and, only when they turned onto the next street and he showed no signs of slowing his pace, she commented, "Are you trying to race me to school, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Hm? Oh, sumimasen." Ichigo slowed his pace to the point where they could both walk at a comfortable pace. "I usually try to get as far as I can from home before I slow down."

Megumi nodded understandingly before speaking, "Sorry for not answering my phone yesterday. I was finishing the assignment from Ochi-sensei and had my headphones on."

Ichigo snapped his fingers then. "That's actually why I tried to call you. Ochi-sensei called my place and said that we have until Wednesday to finish the project."

Megumi stopped dead in her tracks and aimed an even glare at him. "You're kidding, right?"

Ichigo shook his head earnestly, sweating forming on his brow. "Not at all. In fact, she called again later to see if I had been able to contact you. Inoue and Tatsuki called to ask that as well."

Megumi clenched her silky black hair in her hands and screamed, scaring Ichigo and the people on the next street over. She hung her head as a cloud of depression formed above it and she murmured, "Then I completely wasted yesterday…"

"What do you…? You finished the whole thing yesterday, didn't you?" Megumi nodded once and Ichigo scratched his chin, unsure of how to further approach this. "Well…at least you don't have to do the assignment anymore…"

"No SHIT, Sherlock!" Megumi snapped suddenly, making Ichigo take a cautious step back. Megumi sighed then; Ichigo didn't deserve the brunt of her anger. "Sumimasen, Kurosaki-kun. It's just that yesterday was the day I normally visit my family, and I missed it. I even missed the messages and calls they sent me…"

"Sorry to hear that." They started walking again. "Maybe Ochi-sensei will cut you some slack for all your hard work."

"Maybe," Megumi chuckled at the thought.

"If you don't mind me asking, where _do _you stay during the school week if you're not with your family?"

"With my uncle and my niece." When Ichigo opened his mouth to ask a question, she held her hand up to silence the forthcoming question. "Trust me; it's too long of a story to be told right now."

"Okay," was Ichigo's reply as he shrugged his shoulders.

The rest of the trek to school was spent discussing new music and new theater releases. As soon as they set foot on the grounds, Megumi spotted Ochi-sensei talking with the Mathematics teacher, Konotsu-sensei.

"See ya in class, Kurosaki-kun," Megumi said, offering a small wave as she walked over to Ochi-sensei.

"See ya, Tsumugiya-chan," Ichigo called back, heading inside the school doors.

By then Ochi-sensei had finished talking to Konotsu-sensei and noticed Megumi walking over to her. "Oh! Tsumugiya-chan. I hope you got the memo." Megumi explained about how she finished her paper but missed out on seeing her family. "I'm sorry about that, Tsumugiya-chan. See me after class; I'll have something for you for all your troubles then."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Ochi-sensei," Megumi replied, bowing slightly. Both women left then, Ochi-sensei heading around the school building and Megumi walking through its front doors. When the doors finally shut behind her, Megumi chuckled; it was sad that she, who was probably two or three times older than her sensei, had to explain herself to that same sensei. But technically she was just a student and Ochi was her sensei until she graduated high school. Megumi sighed and thought to herself, 'Why'd I ever agree to keep an eye on things?'

She slid the door to her homeroom open and calmly stepped aside as a familiar brown-haired boy tried to jump her but instead ended up planting his face on the hallway's linoleum floor. She stepped into the classroom then, saying, "Morning, Asano-san."

"Mornin', Megumi-chan," Keigo murmured as he stood up, pinching his nose to stop a nosebleed. He started to follow her into the classroom, completely missing the fact that she was ready to shut the door. "Why do you have to-!"

His head slammed into the door as she slid it shut. From inside the classroom, everyone could hear Keigo shout in pain as Megumi walked over towards Ichigo and sat down on top of her own desk, which was only one right and one up from Ichigo's. "Ohayo again, Kurosaki-kun."

"Yo," he responded, looking up from his English book. "So what did Ochi-sensei say?"

"To see her after class." Megumi stood back up and slid her book bag under her desk. As she sat down in her seat, her phone chimed three times from her bag.

She reached down and pulled it out as Ichigo asked, "Your family?"

"Most likely." She flipped it open and read the new message.

'_Dammit, Megumi-chan. You interrupted me in the middle of the best damn dream I've had in months._'

"Yup, it's them," Megumi told Ichigo. Okay, so it was a half-truth. Shinji was more than family to her, but Ichigo really didn't need to know that. As a reply, she typed, '_O, really? What was this dream about, pray tell?_'

She set her phone to vibrate as she waited for a response. She didn't have to wait long.

'_You. Me. Naked. Bed._'

Megumi's face and neck tuned a nice shade of scarlet at the flood of mental images and the warmth that coursed through her body. It was hard to concentrate on her reply but she managed to send it.

'_Pervert. Maybe I won't come over after school…_'

'_Okay, okay. It wasn't about you and me having sex, but it was about you._'

The first bell rang then and she hastily typed, '_Fine by me. Just don't text me until I text you later. School's starting. Luvs ya_ '

Ochi-sensei started taking roll when one final message rolled in. '_I luvs ya more_'

Megumi tucked her phone back into her bag just in time to answer Ochi-sensei calling her name for attendance. The class was over before she could blink and while everyone else left to get to their next classes, Megumi approached her teacher's desk and wordlessly handed her the project, which was contained in a blue portfolio.

Ochi opened the portfolio and scanned its contents. She looked over her glasses at Megumi and asked, "Is this the only draft?"

"No, ma'am," replied Megumi as she pulled out two more portfolios, one labeled '1st draft' and the other labeled '2nd draft', and offered them to Ochi-sensei.

Ochi accepted them and scanned their contents as well. After a few seconds, she took all three portfolios, stacked them neatly on the left side of her desk and gazed kindly at Megumi. "I talked with the other teachers and we all agreed to give you excused absences for the day. I understand you live with your uncle, correct?"

"Hai. He lives a lot closer to here than my family does, so I stay with him during the week and visit my family on Sundays."

"Well, you should go ahead and visit them today. The other teachers agreed to exempt you from any tests or quizzes today. You do have to make up for regular class work and homework, though."

"Fine by me! Arigatou gozaimasu, Ochi-sensei!" Megumi exclaimed, running back to her desk and grabbing her bag and jacket. As she ran out the classroom door, she called out, "See you tomorrow!"

"A lady shouldn't run like that, Tsumugiya!" Ochi's voice echoed down the hall behind the young woman but she didn't slow her pace. She continued to barrel through the halls until she ran into what felt like a solid brick wall and fell back on her butt.

"Ouch…" she groaned and looked up to see what, or rather who, she had run into. "Oh. Sumimasen, Sado-kun."

"It's alright, Tsumugiya-chan," Chad responded calmly, offering a hand to help her, which she gratefully accepted. He pulled her up with no problem. That's when she noticed he was in his gym clothes.

"Oh! When you see Kurosaki-kun, please tell him that the teachers gave me today to go visit my family." The tall teenager nodded once and she started running down the hall again. "Arigatou! See you tomorrow!"

Megumi shunpoed almost the whole way home in order to lessen her time spent in this cold weather, even taking to the skies as an added measure. She came to a stop halfway down the street that lead directly to her home's front, straightened her uniform and hair a bit, and strode confidently the rest of the way. When her destination came into view, she was greeted by a common routine that miffed her.

Jinta was viciously rubbing his knuckles on Ururu's temples despite the girl's protests and cries of pain. He also yelled something about how her eyes made him feel depressed before Megumi kicked him in the side, sending him tumbling in cartwheels until he slammed into the shop's front door. Jinta flailed his arms around, screaming, "Ow! Jeez, Tessai, didja have to…?"

"I ain't Tessai, baka!" Megumi snapped, dusting off Ururu's shoulders and the front of her shirt. She began to check the young girl for injuries. "Are you okay, Uru-chan?"

"Hai, oba-san," Ururu answered quietly. "I just told Jinta-kun that it was his turn to clean the floors today, and he got mad at me."

Megumi gave Jinta a flat glare. "He's also getting dish-washing duty for the next week."

"What the…? Who're you to tell me what ta do, ya old…!" This time, Jinta was interrupted by the object of his fears hoisting him into the air by the back of his shirt.

"What seems to be the problem here, Jinta?" Tessai asked in his deep, baritone voice. He noticed Megumi standing there and raised his eyebrows. "Tsumugiya-san? What brings you back so soon? Did you forget something?"

"Nope. Sensei took pity on me because I didn't get the message that the assignment I busted my butt over is now due Wednesday. She gave me the rest of the day off," Megumi answered evenly. She sent a glare up at Jinta. "When I got here, the little devil right there was bullying Uru-chan. I personally think that dish-washing duty is a suitable punishment."

Tessai adjusted his glasses with his free hand. "I agree with you, Tsumugiya-san." He put the now-miffed Jinta down on the ground and ushered him inside, Megumi and Ururu following after them and shutting the front door closed behind them. He handed a wiping cloth to Jinta and said, "Go ahead and start on the floor."

The redheaded boy mumbled and grumbled, but started anyway. After watching Jinta for a little while, Megumi asked Tessai, "Where's Urahara-san, Tessai-san?"

A drawn-out yawn was heard from further down the hall, and the aforementioned man came shuffling up to them. "I'm right here." He adjusted his bowl hat slightly. "And what can I help you with, Megumi-chan?"

"Nothin'. Just wanted to let you know that I'll be at the warehouse until tomorrow depending on," she cleared her throat pointedly, "certain things."

Kisuke just nodded understandingly and patted Ururu's head absently. "Then make sure to grab your uniform. Oh, and remember to take the food you bought Saturday as well." He then noticed Jinta running back and forth with the rag on the floor. "So I take it that it's Jinta-kun's day for floors."

"Yup and he also earned himself a week of dish-washing duty for bullying Uru-chan," Megumi explained.

Kisuke chuckled. "Always the ever-protective guardian, aren't ya, Megumi-chan?"

"Of course. Because, besides Tessai-san, I'm the only adult here," she commented, giving him a devious grin.

Urahara placed a hand over his heart with a dramatic flair. "Oh, how your words wound me, Megumi-chan!"

Megumi giggled and let Ururu down to her bedroom, throwing her book bag onto her bed before opening her closet. Ururu sat down on her bed with her feet dangling over the side as Megumi began to change into a flimsy white blouse with sleeves that reached her knuckles on each hand and hugged them and a neckline that hugged the area around her collarbones. Megumi was picking a skirt and a pair of shoes to go with it when Ururu spoke in her soft voice. "Um, I saw Hirako-san last night, oba-san."

"Really? Where?" Megumi asked, pulling a teal A-line skirt up to her hips.

"He was leaving your room. I was coming back from the kitchen after getting a drink of water," Ururu explained, swinging her feet back and forth and hitting the soft fabric of Megumi's comforter. There was a pregnant pause before she asked, "Do you…love Hirako-san, oba-san?"

Megumi stopped as she slid some light blue ballet flats on. "Yes, I do. Why do you ask, Uru-chan?"

Ururu's voice remained calm but tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. "Are you going to get married to him and forget about me?"

Megumi was shocked at the question but smiled understandingly as she sat down next to the girl and hugged her as Ururu latched herself onto her chest. "Oh, my hime-chan, I could never forget about you. I do wish that one day Hirako-san and I will get married, but I could never, _ever_ forget about you."

Ururu hiccupped once and mumbled into Megumi's chest, "Okay. Arigatou, oba-san."

"No problem." Megumi petted the top of Ururu's head. "Uru-chan, can you please grab the stuff out of the fridge and bring me the insulated shopping bags?"

Ururu nodded and skipped out of the room, humming to herself. Megumi walked over to her desk and checked the contents of the bag her other purchases from the convenience store were in. She had the new Jump magazine for Love, a guitar music pamphlet for Rose, some new gloves for Kensei that were identical to his old ones, a swimsuit magazine for Lisa, and some new sandals for Hiyori. Hacchi would be thrilled to not have to cook or do the dishes and Mashiro could be sated with a bag of candy that she could just grab from the store front. As for Shinji….well, she was going to give him a really special treat.

She put the bag on her bed next to her book bag and managed to get her uniform folded and put inside her book bag before Ururu returned with the bags and said, "I already put the food in the bags, oba-san."

"Arigatou, Uru-chan," Megumi returned, taking the bags and strapping them over her shoulders. "Tomorrow, I'll make it up to you by taking you to that confectionary café that you like after school."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, oba-san," Ururu replied, smiling and hugging Megumi around the waist. "I'll see you then."

"Yup!" Megumi bent over and kissed Ururu's forehead before grabbing her book bag and the bag from the convenience store and trotting down to the shop's front. As she grabbed a bag of candy from one of the shelves, she called out, "You can reach me on my cell phone if you need me and there's leftover seafood curry in the fridge if anyone wants it. See ya'll tomorrow evening."

Three separate good-byes were heard before she shut the front door behind her. She made a slight adjustment to the insulated shopping bags before she began shunpoing towards her next destination.

The warehouse.

**Just so you people know why Ururu calls Megumi 'oba-san' (auntie), Megumi's late brother had a son and then ****that son fathered Ururu. In short: Ururu is Megumi's great-niece ^^' ...Feel free to review! ^3^**


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgivings last week and survived Black Friday~~~ I was visiting relatives last week so I couldn't update then. And apologies for those of you who are also reading "His Queen'"; Chapter 3 is in progress ^^  
><strong>

Megumi opened the side door of the warehouse slightly, checking up and down the hall for any signs of life. When she didn't see any, she slid in and closed the door without a sound before making her way down to another door which she opened to find a familiar sight.

Mashiro was laying on her stomach on the cement floor, kicking her legs back and forth slowly in the air as her eyes remained glued to whatever cartoon was playing. Hacchi was sitting behind the only sofa present in the room and, at a glance, looked as though he was sleeping; upon further inspection though, Megumi could tell that he was merely meditating. She could see the top of a certain smartass Vizard's head resting on the couch arm nearest her while his feet were propped on the other end of the couch, indicating that he was probably asleep.

His nap was ruined the next second, however, when a door on one of the higher floors slammed open and a harpie-like voice screeched, "SHINJIIII!"

Said blonde bolted upright and stayed like that for a split second before laying back down, lazily calling back, "Whattaya want, Hiyori?"

"What time is Megumi supposed to get here?" Hiyori yelled even as she jumped down to ground level, landing with hardly a whisper of air.

"Sometime after she gets outta school." Megumi crossed the room until she stood a little bit behind Hiyori.

"Well, call her or somethin' and tell her to haul ass over here. I'm bored," Hiyori snapped.

"Well, you can be bored for a little while longer. I ain't about to call her and get her in trouble," Shinji answered back. Megumi could just picture him sticking his tongue out at the enraged ex-fukutaicho.

Hiyori raised a fist in the air and shook it furiously. "Goddammit, baldy! If Love hadn't destroyed my sandals, I would be smacking you so hard, your great-grandchildren would feel it!"

Megumi reached into her bag of gifts, making the plastic rustle and draw the attention of the other Vizards in the room. She said, "Well, I've got a new pair of sandals for you if you promise not to hit anyone with them until tomorrow afternoon."

The looks on the other four's faces made Megumi wish she had a camera, Hiyori, Shinji, and Hacchi all showing mild disbelief and surprise while Mashiro's eyes widening to the size of saucers and her mouth forming a huge '0'.

That same green-haired woman was the first to react, jumping into the air and, with the biggest smile on her face, yelling, "Gumi-chaaaaan!"

Megumi staggered slightly at the impact of Mashiro's tackle-hug but accepted it all the same. She handed a still-stunned Hiyori her new sandals before delving into her bag of goodies again and pulling out Mashiro's bag of candy.

Mashiro's already-wide eyes glistened as she yanked the bag out of Megumi's hands and twirled around the room with it pressed tightly to her chest. She leapt to the third floor and yanked a door open, calling down, "Arigatou, Gumi-chan!"

As the door slammed shut, Shinji smirked and commented, "I say thirty seconds before Kensei blows up."

Hiyori snorted as she slipped her new sandals on, savoring the smooth feeling on the bottoms of her aching feet. "I say fifteen."

"Ten," Hacchi put in calmly, already used to this routine.

"Winner gets to fight whoever they choose," Megumi added, rocking back and forth on her heels as she held up a hand to emphasize her countdown, "and I say three, two, one…"

"WHO THE HELL GAVE MASHIRO CANDY?"

Shinji and Hacchi shrugged their shoulders while Hiyori glared daggers at Megumi, who shrugged with her hands palm up at shoulder level. "Se la vie."

The door that Mashiro had left through was kicked open and a fuming Kensei stood there. "What the hell possessed you to give Mashiro a whole fucking bag of goddamn candy, Megumi Tsumugiya?"

Megumi sent a level, almost bored glare up at him and put her hands on her hips. "Oooo, my full name. I'm _so _scared, Kensei-baka." She turned to Hacchi then and offered the two insulated bags with groceries in them to him. "Hacchin, can you go downstairs and put all this away? I'm making dinner tonight."

"I'd be glad to," the large man answered jovially, taking the straps for both bags in one hand and patting her head with the other. "It's good to see you again."

"Same here," Megumi returned as the slab of concrete opened upward, revealing the stairs that led down to the underground training ground and the kitchen. As Hacchi started walking down them, Megumi returned her gaze up to Kensei and gave him the same look she did before. "What're you staring at, Kensei-baka?"

"Quit calling me that!" Kensei yelled, jabbing a finger at her. "Kami, when did you get to be such a goddamn bitch?"

Megumi cupped her hand to her ear and snidely responded, "Sorry, old man. I didn't quite catch that."

Shinji and Hiyori chortled openly as Kensei jumped down to ground level and moved so that he was looming over Megumi. He sneered down at her. "I believe I just called you a bitch, old hag."

Megumi smirked. "Oh, really? It seems as though you're presuming that my age will keep me from pounding your ass to next Saturday."

Kensei's sneer widened. "How could you possibly beat me if you don't have this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the very thing that she had been searching for the past week.

It was a silver snake about a foot and half long and almost as wide as a choker. A single scaly wing, hardly bigger than a quarter, protruded from its back a few inches from the base of its head. Megumi looked shocked for all of two seconds before she smirked again, using her mind to brush against the dormant conscience of the object.

'Bite him, Buraido Dokuja.'

The once silver and seemingly empty eye sockets flared to life with a luminescent blue energy as Buraido Dokuja arched its back and lightly sank its fangs into the knuckle of the thumb that was holding it. Kensei yelped and let go of the snake's tail, but instead of falling to the ground in a heap, the serpent slithered through the air as easily as it would have on the ground until it reached Megumi, where it wrapped itself once around her neck and twisted its tail once around the base of its head to secure itself while the wing pointed downward towards the center of her breasts. The result was a necklace-like image.

'Are you angry with me, Doka-chan?' Megumi asked mentally, maintaining her contact with the Zanpaktou spirit's conscience.

She could practically feel the spirit shrug before a smooth alto voice responded, 'I was at first, Megumi-sama, but right now, I am just relieved to be free of that brute and his restless companion. However, please tell him that the next time he grips my tail like that, I will make it so he will not be able to feel that arm for a whole week.'

'Will do.' She cut the link then, allowing Buraido Dokuja to get some much-needed rest while she addressed Kensei with the sweetest smile and voice she could muster without breaking down into hysterics. "Doka-chan advises against gripping her tail so hard if you value the feeling in your arm."

Kensei looked slightly worried as he regarded the serpent around Megumi's neck with contempt. "Well, sure she can talk like that when she's in that form. But as a Zanpaktou, she can't do shit."

That comment made the snake flare back to life and hiss at the Vizard. Megumi chuckled and rubbed the underside of its chin fondly. "She begs to differ."

Kensei sneered at her once again. "Then how about we see if her opinion is worth anything after lunch?"

"Sure thing, but first…" She delved into her goody bag yet again, pulled out the pair of fingerless gloves, and smiled "…here's a present!"

As Megumi placed the gloves in his hands, it suddenly sank in what he had done in the midst of his rage. "You…_baited_ me so that you could fight me?"

"Yup," was Megumi's reply as she made the victory sign with her fingers whilst beaming at him.

There were probably three seconds of silence before Hiyori was busting a rib laughing. Shinji chuckled a bit before he commented, "Wow, she played you like a well-tuned fiddle."

Kensei turned a deep shade of red, stuttering, "Sh-shut up!" He tromped over to a crate on the other side of the room and plopped down on it, mumbling to himself as he tried the new gloves on.

Megumi looked at Shinji then and asked, "May I sit down?"

Shinji didn't even look at her as he shrugged and responded, "That depends. Where do ya wanna sit, how long do ya want to sit there…?"

Megumi rolled her eyes, a bemused smile coming to her lips. "I want to sit next to you and I'll sit there for however long I damn well please."

"In that case…" Shinji sat up and moved to the end of the couch closest to Megumi. He patted the cushion next to him. "Watcha waitin' for?"

Megumi rolled her eyes again as she took the offered seat and snuggled closer to Shinji, tucking her legs to the side as he wrapped an arm around her waist. He tapped the top of her head a few times when she was situated and she looked up in time to meet his lips with hers. It was just a whisper of a kiss, no more than skin brushing on skin for a second, but Megumi could feel the hunger and want emanating from Shinji in just that one second. He pulled away and asked, "Don't I get a present, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi looked at him intently and muttered, "Recall a certain text you sent me."

Shinji cocked an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. "The one where I teased ya about the dream I had?"

"The one and same," Megumi replied coyly.

Shinji's fingers traced the soft skin of her thigh and up under her skirt. "When?"

Megumi's breath hitched slightly as the sensation of Shinji's slightly calloused fingers tracing over the smooth skin of her thigh left goose bumps along that leg from the knee to the hip. "After dessert tonight."

He leaned in to the side of her neck, his breath tickling her skin as he whispered, "For all I care, _ you _could be _my _dessert."

He nipped gently on the tender flesh of her neck, making her shudder as Hiyori, who had just recovered from her bout of laughing her ass off, covered her eyes and screamed, "Getta room, ya goddamn sickos!"

From the far back of the room, a calm, male voice commented, "Megumi must be here if Hiyori's yelling for some certain 'sickos' to get a room."

Megumi craned her neck to look at the source of the voice, who was currently walking into the warehouse along with Love and Lisa. Her eyes glistened the same way Mashiro's had before she vaulted over the back of the couch and dashed to the blonde-haired man, who opened his arms to her. "Rojuro-nii!"

Rose met the young woman's embrace with eagerness and affection that matched her nickname for him. "It's good to see you, too, Megumi-chan."

Love and Lisa muttered simple hellos before going and handing bento lunches to everyone in the room, Hacchi having returned from downstairs and a surprisingly calm Mashiro coming out from…well, wherever it was she hid her candy stash. Rose asked, "Everything go okay yesterday?"

Megumi thought hard for a second. "Yes and no. 'Yes' because I got my project done yesterday…"

"The one from the sadistic English teacher, right?"

"Yup. And 'no' because it turns out that while I was busting my ass over that project, people were trying to contact me and tell me that the due date for the project was moved to Wednesday," Megumi sighed before perking right back up. "So Sensei took pity on me and let me take the day off."

"Well, that's good," Rose commented, ruffling Megumi's hair slightly. Megumi pouted childishly and swatted his hand away as she began to rake her fingers through her hair in an attempt to straighten it back out. As Rose chuckled at her endeavor, she walked back around the couch, grabbing the bag with the three remaining presents as she went along. She sat down with it and tossed the Jump magazine to Love and the swimsuit magazine to Lisa as Rose sat to her right on the last spot on the couch. She handed him the guitar pamphlet right before Hacchi handed him his bento lunch.

"Ah, thank you, Megumi-chan. I was running out of pieces to play." Rose set the pamphlet aside and opened his lunch.

Megumi eyed the contents before inquiring, "Whose idea was it to get the sesame chicken set?"

Lisa raised her hand, giving Megumi all the explanation she needed. Shinji suddenly stopped, a piece of sesame chicken held between his chopsticks hovering inches from his lips and asked, "Have ya had lunch yet, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi shook her head. "Nope, but I think I can hold off until din…"

And then her stomach _roared_.

Everyone looked up from their meals, and their magazines in Love and Lisa's cases, and openly stared at her. She chuckled nervously under the feeling of the eight stares boring into her. Shinji rolled his eyes, took the cover of his lunch, and placed a piece of sesame chicken, a bit of rice, and a piece of fruit on it. He handed it to Hiyori, who did the same thing he did before handing the tray to Lisa. It continued around the room in that manner until Rose handed the impromptu bento lunch to Megumi.

Unsure of what else to say, Megumi muttered, "Arigatou, minasan. Shinji, can you get my set of spare chopsticks from the front of my backpack?"

"Sure thing," Shinji answered, putting his own chopsticks between his teeth as he pulled her backpack from beside the couch. As he rummaged through the front pocket, his fingers brushed against her phone, which then buzzed. He pulled it out and tossed it to her. "Ya got a message."

Megumi caught the phone in one hand while the other held onto her tray. She opened the phone and read the message to herself.

'_Chad gave me the message. You got lucky. It was track day for gym class and Konotsu-sensei gave us a pop quiz on quadratic equations and statistics._'

Megumi laughed out loud as she typed her reply. '_Well STBY :D I've already managed to anger one of my brothers by giving one of my sisters some candy. We're settling our differences after lunch so I gotta stop texting.  
>Enjoy lunch break and good luck with the History test. See you tomorrow.<em>'

She shut her phone on her lap and set it on her lap as she accepted her chopsticks from Shinji. She plopped a piece of chicken and a bit of rice in her mouth as Shinji asked, "Someone from school?"

Megumi swallowed before answering, "Yeah. They're just bitching about how hard the Gym and Math classes were."

Love guffawed just then, drawing everyone's attention. Upon noticing their gazes, he apologized, "Sorry. There was a particularly funny punch line in Jump."

Everyone either rolled their eyes, sighed, or both before returning to their own lunches. Megumi finished first unsurprisingly and placed her chopsticks on her tray then set it on the floor. She ran her index finger along her lips to pick up any extra food or sauce as she commented to Shinji, "The next time you decide to visit me in the middle of the night, at least make sure Uru-chan doesn't see you."

Shinji put his own chopsticks and empty bento box on the armrest of the couch. "Hey, that was an accident."

"Whatever," Megumi dead-panned, standing up and putting her phone back into her backpack while pulling out a blue rubber band. She skipped over to the top of the staircase, smiling over her shoulder at Kensei. "Hurry up, Kensei-baka. I want our fight to be over with by 3:30 so I can make dinner early."

"QUIT CALLING ME THAT, DAMMIT!" Kensei yelled at her as she giggled and started jumping down the stairs four or five at a time. Before long she set foot on the ground of the training area, taking a few seconds to take in the semi-reality of the sky above her and the barren, rocky ground beneath her feet.

She put the rubber band between her teeth as she used her hands to pull her hair into a high ponytail. She secured it in place, allowing a few strands of hair to frame her face, and sat down Indian-style on a nearby boulder. She closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply, thinking of the rhythm as she practiced it. _"In…Out…In…Out…In…"_

She didn't notice the scene around her warping and changing, transforming from a fabricated rocky terrain with shades of reds and browns with a fake blue sky and white clouds into a rocky cave the color of obsidian black and an opening that revealed a deep blue sky and billowing white clouds. It was the sound of the surf outside, crashing onto the reef before receding off the rocks only to repeat the process, that drew her deep blue eyes open.

Surprise crossed her features for all of a half-second before she stood up and removed her ballet flats in the cave, shivering at the feeling of the cold rock beneath her feet. She left the flats in the cave as she stepped out into the warmer air and savored the feeling of salty mist against her skin as the surf once again crashed into the reef. She began walking at a leisurely pace along the rocky path to the left of the cave mouth, alternating gazing out to the endless expanse of ocean to her right to the black mountainside occasionally dotted with shrubs or other such hardy mountain plants on her left. Eventually, the path she was traversing eroded to tan grains of sand that felt like soft cloth to her aching feet; and before long, Megumi rounded the final bend of the mountain and came into view of a small forest of palm trees. Through the cluster of trees she could see the back of a familiar woman. The woman was standing with her toes just within the surf's reach, the train of her kimono-dress stretching out behind her. Megumi's footsteps were barely whispers on the sand as she wove her way through the trees and onto the bleached grains of the only beach on this island.

Megumi was barely a foot away from the edge of the train when the smooth alto voice of that woman reached her ears. "It is good to see you, Megumi-sama."

The Vizard smiled gently as she walked up beside the woman. "It's good to see you, too, Doka-chan."

Buraido Dokuja laughed merrily. "I see you still do not like using my full name. If I may be so bold as to inquire why?"

Megumi rolled her eyes. This was a conversation they had had multiple times before but one that she didn't mind repeating. "I've told you before, Doka-chan. You're more like a friend to me than anything else. I want there to be as small a gap as possible between us so I started with what I wanted to call you and it just stuck."

"But, of course, you will have your secrets and I will have mine. Am I right, Megumi-sama?" Buraido Dokuja asked sincerely, with no trace of malice or resentment in her voice.

"Hai."

Megumi turned her head and took a good look at the woman who was the spirit of her Zanpaktou. A traditional bamboo hat rested over silver hair that reached the middle of her back. That hat had a veil that hung from its edges except for a small portion that had two silver chains with white and silver tags hanging on the end of them. The veil was tucked into the gray obi of the spirit's silvery blue kimono dress, which had slender sleeves that fell a foot past her fingertips and a front which opened up just a little above her knees to reveal slender, porcelain-white legs and feet. And, as the first part of her name implied, she was blind, the entirety of her visible eye being a smooth milky white, but could see everything around her, even color, by reading the energies of the objects around her.

"Megumi-sama, the ocean is blue, correct?" Buraido Dokuja asked, all humor gone.

Megumi nodded unsurely.

"And yet, whenever disturbed, parts of it turn white and others black. But what disturbs the water is not always immediately visible. It can lurk just within your field of vision or just outside of it. You simply have to keep your eyes trained to find it," Buraido Dokuja finished with a deep exhale.

Megumi nodded again as she recalled what really set her Buraido Dokuja aside from other spirits: her predictions. Normally, she was a bright and cheerful spirit, and no one would expect such accurate predictions to come from her lips. But they always came true, so Megumi always took them to heart.

The spirit suddenly perked up and smiled at Megumi. "I think Kensei-dono is ready to fight you."

Megumi chuckled and agreed. "He's probably yelling at me to get out of jinken."

"Indeed, he is," Buraido Dokuja answered, offering a sleeve-covered hand to her wielder. "Shall we fight together?

Megumi didn't hesitate to take her Zanpaktou's hand and squeeze it affectionately. "Yes, we shall."

Both women closed their eyes and exhaled deeply, the sound of the surf gradually fading away. With a jolt, Megumi returned to reality, finding she was still sitting cross-legged on a boulder, her ballet flats were still on, and…

"It's about damn time!" Kensei yelled from right in front of her. Her ears began ringing as he continued, "You're down here for all of ten minutes and you slip into jinken!"

"Well, pardon me for wanting to talk with Doka-chan before fighting with you," Megumi muttered sarcastically, standing up and dusting her butt off. She looked at Shinji, who was perched on his own boulder a few feet behind Kensei, and inquired, "How long was I in jinken?"

"'Bout an hour, give or take a few minutes," he replied with a shrug.

"And what time is it now?" Megumi asked in general, noticing the other 6 Vizards sitting either on boulders or on the ground around the immediate area.

Rose took a look at the watch on his wrist. "Almost a quarter after one."

"Tell me when it's two-thirty. I want to get cleaned up before I make dinner." Megumi brushed her fingers against her snake choker, awakening it. The silver serpent slithered down her arm and stopped in her upturned hand as she asked Kensei, "With or without masks?"

Kensei smirked as he pulled Tachikaze out of his pocket, twirled it on his finger, and then caught the hilt with practiced ease as his free hand went up to his face. "With."

As he materialized his hockey face guard-like mask, Megumi lifted the snake to her lips and breathed, "Shōtai o arawasu, Buraido Dokuja."

The snake stiffened then straightened in her hand, its tail pointing outwards at Kensei. The tail began to elongate and widen while the area from the head to the base of the wing widening just enough for her hand to wrap around it and the wing expanded and elongated to created a hand cover. A small snake emerged from the forming sword and wrapped around the area between the hilt and the blade several times, creating the hand guard.

When the snake was done transforming, Buraido Dokuja was a cutlass with a silver blade so pure that it was almost white, a pearl white hand cover and guard, and a hilt wrapped in bluish gray cloth that tied off at the end and trailed off in two separate ribbons, each about six inches long before they ended in silver hoops.

Megumi's other hand raised to her face, moving in a circular motion and materializing her mask as she moved her hand. The mask fit the frame of her face perfectly and was covered from top to bottom in pearly white scales akin to snake scales, with miniscule openings under the scales near her nose and mouth that allowed her to breathe and talk. Through the eyeholes in her mask, everyone could see that her eyes had turned completely green like the grass in a meadow and her pupils completely vanished; but they all knew better than to think she was blind.

Megumi fell into a comfortable stance, her arm bent at a 90-degree angle. Her sword was parallel to the ground as she pointed it at Kensei, who was bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet while his arms were in a relaxed guard. "En guard, Kensei-baka!"

"Stop calling me that!" The two disappeared in perfectly executed shunpos, appearing several dozen yards away in the air. A thrust from Tachikaze was easily deflected with a side swipe of Buraido Dokuja and Megumi thrust her open palm to Kensei's chest.

"Hado One: Sho!" Kensei was sent plummeting down to the ground and into a boulder by the force of the spell. Megumi rolled her eyes and pulled her mask to the side and upward off her face, maintaining her Hollowfictation despite that. "Jeez, Kensei-baka! You let that get in too easily! What's wrong with you, ya old geezer?"

"Tell me something I don't know! I was just testing you to see if your skills had gotten rusty!" Kensei yelled back, picking himself up from the rubble of the half-destroyed boulder.

"Whatever. Just go all out from here on or else you forfeit!"

"And the loser…" Kensei began to quote the condition they always gave whenever they got the chance to fight.

Megumi grinned maniacally as she placed her mask back over her face. "Does the dishes!" And with that they charged at each other again.

**And there you have it ^^ The members of Megumi's 'family' are the Vizards**.

**Translations:**

**1) Buraido Dokuja: Blind Poisonous Serpent**

**2) Shōtai o ara****wasu: Reveal yourself**

**Oh, and just a warning: M-Rated material in the next chapter. You have been warned~~~**** Anyway, R&R por favor. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the lemon~~~ I warned you in the last chapter and I'll warn you again: this is COMPLETELY rated M. So if you don't like lemons then see ya later! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach T.T But I do own Megumi~~**

Megumi placed her empty coffee cup on the ground beside her and licked her lips. "That really hit the spot! You've gotten better at making the vanilla ice cream for the affagato, Hacchin!"

Hacchi nodded. "Arigatou, Megumi-chan. That crab cream croquette you made was delicious as well and went well with the somen noodles."

"Why, arigatou, Hacchin," Megumi replied, spreading some edamame paste over a mochi. She had her mouth wide open, ready to bite down, when she noticed Mashiro staring at her with puppy eyes. "What is it, Mashiro?"

"Can I have some affagato, Gumi-chan?" Mashiro begged, adding a pout to her puppy eyes.

Megumi shook her head and patted Mashiro's head. "Not this time, Mashiro-chan. If you have caffeine now, you won't sleep at all tonight. There's more fruit soda in the fridge, though."

Mashiro squealed and jumped over Megumi and the rock she had her back to, excited to get more of the bubbly, fruity, and non-caffeinated beverage that Megumi had made to go with dinner.

Shinji, who was sitting next to Megumi, called over his shoulder, "And make sure them dishes are spotless, Kensei!" He ducked in time to avoid a soaking wet sponge that was aimed at his head.

"Shut the fuck up!" Kensei yelled at him before returning to scrubbing the plates from dinner.

Shinji sat back up and stuck his pierced tongue out at the silver-haired Vizard. Megumi elbowed him in the ribs, hard, to tell him to behave. While regaining his breath, he breathlessly wheezed, "What was that for?"

"Be nice to Kensei. He's bein' a good sport and doing the dishes," Megumi snapped, flicking his forehead. She looked over her shoulder at Kensei. "Are you sure you don't want help with the dishes, Kensei?"

"Nah, I'm good," Kensei answered, stacking another dry dish by the sink. "I lost fair and square. But I want to know…" He paused to look quizzically at her "…where did you develop that technique?"

"Tegneeg?" Megumi asked through a mouthful of mochi that made her cheeks bulge. She managed to swallow it all with some difficulty then swiped Shinji's cup of fruit soda out of his hands, guzzling it down to help the wad she felt in her chest to move along. She handed the now-empty cup to a peeved Shinji before speaking again. "What technique?"

"The one where Buraido wrapped around my arm and then you kneed me in the stomach."

Megumi thought back for a moment before snapping her fingers. "Oh, yeah! _That _technique. I actually kinda came up with it on the fly."

Kensei's eye twitched. "So you mean to tell me that was your first time using that technique?"

"Yup." Megumi stood up, brushing the dirt off the skirt Lisa had lent to her and straightening the long-sleeved shirt she had borrowed from then noticed Shinji laying across where she had been sitting previously, his eyes fixated on her thighs. Or so she thought…

"Y'know, Megumi, you got some pretty sexy panties."

Megumi turned beet red from her neck up, snatched the sandal that Hiyori was offering her in a split second, and slammed it on the top of Shinji's head, making his forehead hit the ground with a resounding smack. She handed the sandal back to Hiyori while Shinji clutched his forehead and muttered a stream of curses. "Arigatou."

"Anytime," Hiyori responded as Megumi stormed over to the stairs. She was halfway up the staircase when Shinji stopped streaming curses long enough to notice she was leaving.

"Wait! Megumi-chan, I didn't mean it like that!" Shinji called out, standing up and following after her.

"Oh, really? Then what _did _you mean?" Megumi snapped as she reached the top of the stairs.

Shinji groaned and shunpoed in front of her, turning her and putting her back to one of the nearby pillars. He walled her in with his arms, despite the pissed glare he was receiving. "Okay, I meant it like that. But I also meant to say they compliment your thighs well." He was quick to catch the palm on a collision course with his face. "What, can't I compliment how ya look without you hurtin' me?"

"You're being lewd again!" Megumi whined, pouting while maintaining her glare. She turned her head away from him, muttering, "Maybe I'll just skip your present tonight…"

Shinji groaned; she just _had_ to bring that up, didn't she? He had had to excuse himself during Megumi's fight with Kensei so he could take a cold shower and had been fighting a boner all throughout dinner and dessert. He pinned the hand he was still holding by the wrist above her head as he leaned in and whispered, "What'll it take for you to give me that goddamn 'present'?"

"Oooo. Is someone desperate?" Megumi teased, breathing in his ear before licking the lobe.

He ground the bulge in his pants against her pointedly before he hissed, "Like you wouldn't believe."

Megumi giggled lightly. "Let me be in charge tonight and you get your present."

"Deal."

Shinji scooped Megumi into his arms as easily as someone would pick up a doll and jumped to the top floor of the warehouse. He proceeded to almost yank the door up there off its hinges and walked to the first door down the hallway. Megumi was mildly surprised that he didn't almost tear his bedroom door of its hinges as well when he opened it. He set her on her feet just inside the door and flipped the two light switches beside his door on, illuminating the two tall, standing lamps in his room, one being in the far right corner and the other in the nearby left corner.

The light revealed a jukebox that Megumi had bought from one of her past bosses against the far wall. She had removed the previous records from the machine and, with help from Rose, Kensei, and Shinji, had placed Shinji's own collection of jazz records into it. Next to the jukebox was a three-drawer dresser that held Shinji's undershirts, boxers, socks, and comfortable slacks for the nights where he actually wore clothes. Sakanade was propped against the side of the dresser opposite the jukebox. On the wall to their right were two doors, the closest leading to the bathroom and the furthest, to Shinji's walk-in closet. The wall opposite that hosted an unmade queen-sized bed with a nightstand on each side, each hosting a small reading lamp and the closest one also hosting a digital clock.

As Shinji shut the door behind him and locked it, Megumi strode over to the bed, flopped down on it, and gathered a bunch of sheets in her arms before burying her face in them. And despite the bundle of sheets covering her mouth, Shinji heard her say, "I've missed this…"

"What? You've just been missing my bed for this past week?" Shinji gave her one of his trademark grins despite the fact she couldn't see it. "Koi, I dare say that yer more perverted than I am."

Megumi's head shot up from the sheets, an indignant frown on her lips. "Baka, I meant that I missed all of this. Pushing Kensei's buttons, sitting around and eating meals with everyone…" she sat up and gently hooked her fingers on the knot of Shinji's tie, pulling lightly on it "…being _so _ surrounded by your scent and reiatsu that they could smother me."

Shinji tilted his head slightly as he slid onto the bed when Megumi tugged a little more forcefully. "Oh?"

Another gentle tug on the knot of his tie and it came undone. Megumi pulled softly on one of the tie's ends to slowly slide it from around Shinji's necklace. She tossed it to the foot of the bed and ran her fingers through Shinji's jaw length blonde hair, her eyes gazing at him softly, tenderly, lovingly. "I missed _you_…"

Shinji smirked at her. "There are the words. You coulda just said that at the beginning, koi."

Megumi blushed slightly and asked, "Should I say it again?"

Shinji pulled the hem of her shirt up and over her head, discarding it at the end of the bed with his tie. "Nah. You should prove it, though."

Megumi ghosted her lips over his and he followed her as she tried to pull away, sucking delicately on the tender flesh of her lips. She responded to the sucking by opening her mouth just enough to allow his moist tongue slide into it. A shiver coursed through her spine as his wet appendage brushed against the top of her own, but she willed herself to stay in control of herself and brought her tongue up to feel over Shinji's and find his piercing. Once located, Megumi traced the metallic circle with the very tip of her tongue.

Shinji groaned at the sensation and attempted to advance further, only to feel Megumi's hand against his chest. She gently broke their kiss, panting and blushing ever-so-slightly, and breathed, "I'm in charge tonight, remember?"

Shinji sighed in disappointment. "Well, hurry up or you'll be faced with mutiny, mon capitan."

Megumi giggled impishly as she mentally registered that he was getting frustrated at being turned on but unable to act on the urges he was feeling. She unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it over with the other discarded clothing. She looked down at his pants, noting the bulge there with some excitement and satisfaction, then looked back to his brown eyes and asked, "Would you be so kind as to remove the rest of your clothes?"

Shinji rolled his eyes and rolled off the bed, his back to her as he removed his jeans and briefs in one go. When he turned back around, he was surprised to find that Megumi had finished undressing herself and propped the pillows up at the head of the bed in that short time. It was now Megumi's turn to roll her eyes. "Don't just stand there like a dumbass, Shinji. Come and prop yourself against the pillows." She patted the soft cushions then to emphasize her point.

He climbed back onto the bed and rested against the pillows as Megumi positioned herself between his legs. Her fingernails delicately stroked up one side of his rock-hard erection and down the other before her mouth encompassed its head. Her head bobbed slowly at first, taking a little more in her mouth each time she went down; but when her mouth reached its capacity, she began bobbing faster and used her hands to work what parts of his cock that her mouth couldn't reach, causing Shinji to tilt his head back and close his eyes in ecstasy. Shinji wasn't even aware of one of Megumi's hands leaving his dick until he felt a moaning that made it vibrate. He opened his eyes and tilted his head downward to try and see what was causing it; he nearly fainted at the sight before him. Megumi was fingering herself in the midst of giving him a blowjob.

'_O merciful Spirit King…if I die now, I die happy…_' He groaned as another set of vibrations coursed through his cock and wove his fingers into her black tresses. His hands helped move her head at a faster pace as he felt his climax building. Megumi looked up at him, her cobalt blue eyes questioning, and all he could do was nod to confirm the question those eyes held. She bobbed her head forcefully a few more times then stopped as he grunted, his hips thrust upwards, and his cum exploded into her mouth. She swallowed every bit of the warm, sticky substance before she removed her mouth from his now-limp manhood and took deep breaths, her hands working to get him rock hard again.

Shinji caught his breath as she worked her magic on him and asked, "Why…the blowjob, Megumi?"

Megumi, also having regained her breath, grinned coyly up at him as she sat up and pressed her chest to his, also positioning herself above his member. "It's part of my gift to you, Shinji. Are you saying that you're unsatisfied?"

Shinji pressed his lips firmly to hers as his hands grabbed. "Not at all." With that, he slowly guided her down until his shaft was completely immersed within her warm walls. She took over then, using her legs to mover herself up and down the shaft in a steady rhythm. Shinji enjoyed the feeling of her breasts, which pressed against him every time she breathed, as they moved up and down his torso. Suddenly Megumi sat herself rather deeply on his shaft, threw her head back and moaned, telling him that her miracle spot had been hit. He grunted and tightened his grip on her hips, his nails sinking lightly into her creamy flesh, before he forcefully sat her on his cock again. He was rewarded by another sweet moan and Megumi was now laboring for oxygen.

"Sh-Shinji…why are you…" The rest of her question was cut off when he hit her miracle spot yet a third time. Megumi clenched her eyes shut and bit lightly on the knuckle of her left hand to suppress another moan.

But Shinji would have none of that. He grabbed her wrist and moved it away from her mouth, keeping a gentle yet iron grip on the wrist to prevent her from covering her mouth again. "Let me hear ya moan, Megumi. And as for why I'm doing this…didn't I warn ya about mutiny?" And with that, Shinji bucked and twisted his hips, scattering the pillows on the bed and reversing their positions. Megumi gave a startled squeak as she landed on a pillow and looked up at Shinji's smirking face as he leaned in and breathed, "And I'm feeling just a tad bit rebellious, _koi_."

When he emphasized that final word, Megumi couldn't stop a shiver that coursed her spine. When he called her 'koi' during their love-making, she knew that she had awakened the beast in Shinji. She would be lucky to walk tomorrow…

Shinji slowly drew his hips back until just the head of his cock was inside her wet folds and then drove it back in. Megumi tried to stifle this moan with the back of her right hand but Shinji caught it before it could cover the melodic moan and trapped it in his grip beside Megumi's head, opposite the side where her other hand was pinned. "Oi. I said ta let me hear ya moan, Megumi. I haven't heard it in a looong time."

Between deep breaths that made her breasts heave and quiver, Megumi managed to breathe, "You pervert…"

Shinji leaned in and touched foreheads with her, smiling teasingly. "But you still love me, don't ya?"

Megumi could only smile back. "So help me…I do…"

Shinji gently caressed her lips with his as he began rocking his hips back and forth slowly, savoring the feeling of Megumi's hot, labored breath against his lips. He slammed into her as he picked up the pace and this time, she practically screamed in ecstasy, arching her back to try and bring the two of them closer together. She even began to mover her hips in time with his thrusts. And yet…it wasn't enough…

"Sh-Shinji…" Megumi whimpered. Shinji could only grunt in response. "Please…ha… harder…"

He smirked and whispered into her ear, "Are ya sure, koi?" He thrust into her and moved his hips in a circular motion, the result of which was his throbbing member pressing against the sensitive walls of her warmth.

Megumi gasped at the sensation, her eyes widening in surprise. "Yes! I'm sure…please, Shinji…" She let out another pitiful whimper as he began to pull his member out.

"Weeeell…since you begged…" His sentence trailed off as he pounded back into her with more force and continued on with that force. The sound of their wet flesh smacking together, coupled with her moans and Shinji's grunts, completed the feeling of ecstasy for Megumi. It made her mind go blank; she forgot about the English project, about her fight with Kensei, about having dinner with everyone.

There was only her and Shinji.

And he was fucking her senseless.

She was brought back to reality when her orgasm hit. She let loose a pleasure-filled scream as every fiber of her being was filled with electricity and her fingers and toes curled. Through the bliss, she felt Shinji slam into her a few times before he thrust into her a final time and held there as he shot his warm seed into her. He pulled out when he was done and fought to keep himself from collapsing on top of Megumi, who was just as winded as he was. He finally found the energy to push himself over and land on the bed next to her. After a few seconds, he turned his head to look at Megumi and found that she was looking at him as well.

She smiled weakly at him and giggled. "I think that a week is a bit too long for us to go without seeing each other."

Shinji rolled his eyes and smirked at her. "I've gotta agree with ya there. It was all I could do last night to not ravish you in your sleep."

Megumi giggled again and feebly pushed his toned bicep as she rolled to the edge of the bed and stood on the cool cement floor, stretching herself out before crossing to the jukebox. She punched in the necessary keys, having had Kensei wire it to not need payment, and allowed the record to play as she walked around the bed and shut off the twin lamps. As soon as those lamps went off, the lamp on Shinji's nightstand turned on, showing her the confused gaze of her lover. "Y'know, koi, after all the times you've done this, has it ever dawned on ya ta turn yer lamp _before_ you get up?"

Megumi strolled over to the bed and sat down next to him, resting her head against his chest. "It has, but I like it when you turn your lamp on to light my way to your side. It gives me such a feeling of nostalgia…"

Shinji hooked one of his fingers under her chin and tilted her head back so that her cobalt eyes were fixated on his brown ones. He smiled softly and muttered, "Whatever floats yer boat."

They leaned in for a kiss when a wave of reiatsu washed over them. It wasn't amazingly strong but it was enough to distract the two Vizards. The same question crossed their minds; Megumi was the first to voice it. "What was that?"

Shinji scratched the top of his head, a frown evident on his features. "Dunno, but let Urahara take care of it. You do enough work for him during the week."

Megumi stretched her arms out to their fullest and gave him a sly wink. "Not to mention you just fucked me senseless."

Shinji snorted and commented, "Please don't insult me, koi. If I had literally just fucked you senseless, you wouldn't have been able to stand up for a week."

Megumi grabbed his pillow and shoved it in his face, chortling all the while. "You disgusting perv!"

Shinji pushed the pillow out of his face and out of Megumi's hands and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You beautiful goddess." Megumi wrapped her arms around his chest as he buried his face in her hair. "What'd I ever do to deserve ya?"

"Dunno, but I'm the lucky one," was Megumi's mumbled reply. She looked at him curiously then and asked, "Did you still want to talk about that dream you had last night?"

Shinji looked at her quizzically before his eyes widened in recollection. "Oh, yeah. The dream. It wasn't a single dream, per se. It was more like a montage of sorts."

Megumi nodded understandingly, drawing her knees to her chest then resting her arms on her knees and her chin on her arms. "What all was in this montage-dream of yours?"

Shinji shrugged. "A lot. Like the time Rose and I first encountered you as a semi-Hollow."

Megumi couldn't stop her open wince at the memory; she didn't like how, at one point, she had been eager to kill and devour her current nii-sama figure as well as her lover. Shinji didn't miss that wince and he hooked his finger under her chin so her eyes again met his. "Hey, stop blaming yerself for that, koi. You weren't yerself then, understand?"

Megumi nodded solemnly in reply before he released her chin and continued, "There was also the time when you achieved Shikai with Buraido Dokuja; when you were able to maintain your Hollow mask for five hours non-stop; when you cooked for all of us for the first time; and then your text happened to wake me up when I was recalling the aftermath of our first time. I said 'the aftermath'!" Shinji put his hands up defensively when he noticed the daggers she was glaring at him.

Megumi huffed. "I guess I'll let it slide this time." A few seconds passed before she sighed and said, "I guess I can't really stay mad at you, even if I try. I'm happy you think of me when I'm away, though." She smiled softly at him.

"Koi, how can I _not_ think of you?" Shinji asked as he smiled and kissed the top of her head as he felt exhaustion beginning to creep up on him. He wrapped his arms around Megumi again and laid back on one of the pillows, keeping one arm wrapped around Megumi while the other reached over and turned off the lamp. Darkness fell over the room instantly and that, grouped with the feeling of Megumi laying in his embrace and the soft melody of the jazz music playing from the jukebox, lulled him into a deep, peaceful sleep after he had drawn the covers over the two of them.

**Translation:**

**koi/koibito - an intimate name for a lover, whether male or female  
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**So how was it~? ^^ I'd like to hear your feedback on this, maybe areas I can improve on or whatev. I try to deliver~~ But anyways remember to click that little button below and leave your thoughts~~! Bye for now!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yo~~! It's been a while... ^^" Just don't kill me. If you kill me, there will be NO. MORE. STORY! *Dun-dun-duuuuuun* That aside, if the last chapter confused you with the whole 'telepathic-versus-verbal conversations' thing, I'm so sorry I didn't explain it! Here, let me explain it now, before I forget ^/^"**

"..." - Verbal (person to person)

'...' - Telepathic (person to Zanpaktou)(People outside the conversation won't hear anything)

**With that out of the way, I hope the previous chapter and this chapter will make more sense ^^ In this next chapter, there'll be some insight as to what goes on in Megumi's head and her internal struggles and insecurities. To put it in one word, it would be Megumi's DRAMA XP**

**Don't own Bleach, but Megumi and Doka-chan are mine. My precious(es)! LOL  
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Megumi awoke first the next day and just laid there, listening to Shinji's soft snores. She snuggled in closer to him and felt his arms wrap just a little tighter around her. She enjoyed moments like this, where it was quiet and the world consisted of her, Shinji, and the confines of the room they woke up in.

As she began to doze off again, there was sharp knocking on the bedroom door. Shinji stirred next to her, the movement jostling her breasts slightly, and groaned as whoever was knocking proceeded to do so again. "Ya gonna get that, koi?"

Megumi sighed and sat up, turning the lamp on the nightstand on as she did so. "Apparently…" She stretched her arms and legs, silently marveling at the fact her legs were only slightly numb, and walked down to the end of the bed. She put on Shinji's shirt from last night and buttoned all but the top button, the shirt open at the collar just enough to show some cleavage and the fabric draping down to about mid-thigh, before she opened the door. "Oh! Ohayo, Rojuro-nii!"

"Ohayo, Megumi-chan," Rose returned politely, but there was an urgent undertone in his voice that Megumi didn't miss. "Do you happen to know what time it is?"

Megumi shook her head. "Nope, you just woke up. Why?"

"It's 7:30." Megumi's eyes widened before she turned on her heel and glared at Shinji, hissing, "Dammit, Shinji! How many times do I have to remind you to set the alarm on that stupid clock whenever I stay the night?"

"What the hell?" Shinji screamed, jolting upright, almost as though he had been electrocuted, and giving her a vexed look. Apparently, he had just fallen back asleep. "In my defense, you distracted me last night so-!"

"Don't give me that 'distracted' shit!" Megumi quipped, jabbing a finger at him. "You could have set it while I was fighting Kensei OR making dinner!"

While the couple continued to argue, a grouchy and disheveled Kensei walked up to Rose, who had a bemused smile on his lips. "The hell are they arguing about? It's 7:30 in the damn morning."

Rose chuckled drily, a noise that Kensei had to strain to hear over the bickering. "Shinji forgot to set the alarm clock. Again."

Kensei blinked a few times as his mind added it all up then he grinned maniacally. "This, I gotta see. It's about time he got his ass knocked down a few pegs."

Megumi turned away from arguing with Shinji long enough to ask Rose, "Could you go get my book bag from the main room? My school uniform's in there."

"No problem," Rose responded as he turned on his heel and walked down the hallway.

"And sorry, Kensei," Megumi now addressed Kensei, finally acknowledging his presence. "I'll have to do that some other time. Right now, I've got to get ready to go."

Kensei just shrugged and yawned, turning around and heading back to his own room. "Whatever. I'm gonna catch some more z's before Mashiro wakes up. If she isn't already awake. See ya, Megumi."

"See ya, Kensei," Megumi called to his retreating back before she shut Shinji's door and turned the lights on. She shed Shinji's shirt languidly as she walked over to the bathroom, discarding it on the tiled floor. She turned the water on in the shower as she commented icily, "And before you say anything, Shinji Hirako, just know that 'sorry' is not going to cut it this time."

"Well, I _am_ sorry, koi," Shinji told her, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "What's it gonna take to prove it to ya?"

Megumi put her hair up in a high ponytail and began to twist it until it curled into a bun. As she fastened the bun in place with bobby pins, she let out a sigh and her tone quieted. "I dunno, Shinji…"

Shinji quirked an eyebrow. He knew what that tone of voice meant: Megumi wasn't sure about something. He let out a grunt as he pushed himself up off the bed and walked to his dresser. "There's something else on yer mind, Megumi-chan. Care ta share?"

Megumi stepped into the shower, interrupting the steady flow of water tapping the tiled floor of the shower, and lathered some soap in her hands. "I sometimes wonder why I bother trying to live a normal life. I'm older than most of my sensei's and I'll still outlive them _and _my fellow classmates by centuries."

Shinji pulled on a pair of clean briefs and some gray slacks before leaning against the wall outside the bathroom and listening as she continued, her voice breaking ever-so-slightly. "I've watched as my entire family save for Ururu passed on before me. I've seen my childhood friends as their hair turned gray and then white as _their _children grew gray hairs. I don't think…I can do this much longer…" There was the tell-tale squeaking of the metal knob as Megumi turned the shower off and then Shinji heard a trembling breath escape her lips "I…_can't_…do this much longer…"

Shinji pushed himself off the wall and walked into the bathroom. It was comfortably warm and humid from the steam from Megumi's shower, but it wasn't stifling. Megumi, who had wrapped a towel around herself, was removing the pins from her bun in front of the mirror, leaving her hair in the ponytail as she supposedly gazed at her reflection; but Shinji knew better than to think that she was looking at her reflection. Her gaze was deep, sad, and unfocused, a look that was only ever present when she was reflecting on her past. He grabbed her shoulders, startling her out of her reverie, and made her face him completely before he planted his lips on hers. From their close proximity, Shinji could smell the unique scent of her soap: something that was extremely invigorating but sensually calming at the same time.

He promptly broke the kiss before he was tempted to carry things further and consequently piss her off before he locked a stern gaze with her bewildered one and said, "Listen, Megumi, in the 50 years I've known ya, you've been absolutely consistent in two things: you're a damn fine cook and you can be stubborn and undefeatable when ya make yer mind up about something." He smirked at her. "I mean, it took me how many years to…"

Megumi gave him a deadpan stare and karate-chopped the top of his head. "That's beside the point, baka."

Ignoring the pain on his head, Shinji gripped her shoulders and gave her a light shake. "What I'm gettin' at is that ya shouldn't let those things stop ya from doing what you want. I'm not saying that you need to bury yer feelings, just don't let 'em interfere with yer goals. And if you need it…" He held out his arms in a welcoming gesture "…you can always cry on my shoulder or chest."

Megumi's eyes widened for a split second before her expression became soft and a tender smile graced her lips. "Arigatou, koibito."

Shinji gave her his famous Hirako grin. "Anytime, koi."

They leaned in towards each other and just as their lips were about to touch, there was a rapid knocking on his door. Shinji scowled over his shoulder at that same door until Megumi tapped his chest. She smirked at him, asking, "Ya gonna get that, koi?"

Shinji stuck his tongue out at her even as he complied to her disguised request. "Har-har. Yer a hoot-and-a-half."

Megumi giggled impishly as Shinji opened the door and Rose walked in, holding her backpack. She crossed over to him and took it from his hands. "Arigatou, Rojuro-nii."

"Again, it's no problem," Rose returned with a smile, unfazed by the sight of Megumi in naught but a towel. "Hacchi's making pancakes downstairs and wanted to know how many you wanted."

"Awesome! Tell him I'd like three, please!"

"Alright, and what about you, Shinji?"

"Same as her."

Rose nodded and left the room as he said, "I'll see you two downstairs and no funny business, Hirako. Megumi's late enough as it is."

Shinji glared after him for a while, completely oblivious to the fact that Megumi had shed her towel, before shutting the door. "Did he really have ta add that last part? I mean, it's not like…"

And that's when he turned around to see a topless Megumi bent over to pull her skirt up her legs. He stared at her like a deer in headlights and she stared right back at him in the same manner. After a little while though, Buraido Dokuja slithered out of Megumi's book bag and bared its fangs at to Shinji, further emphasizing its point by adding a sharp hiss.

Shinji flinched and hissed right back. "I get it! Turning around now!" He turned around, muttering to himself, so that he was facing the blank, faded gray cement wall of his room.

Buraido Dokuja relaxed her stance a bit as she regarded her wielder, who had resumed dressing as though nothing had just happened. 'My instincts tell me I ought to be very grateful for having been left in your backpack last night, Megumi-sama.'

Megumi grinned embarrassedly. 'Sorry about that, Doka-chan. Shinji and I had a lot of…catching up to do.'

The serpent nodded as Megumi began buttoning her uniform shirt. 'In that case, I am _extremely_ grateful for having been left in your backpack.'

Both Vizard and Zanpaktou chuckled drily. Megumi stopped buttoning her uniform shirt when there were only three buttons left and asked mentally, 'Would you like to go around my neck today?'

The snake shook its head. 'No thank you. Your winter uniform is rather stifling.'

'You're telling me…but, alright.' Megumi fastened the last few buttons and cinched her bow around her neck within seconds.

Shinji let out an exasperated groan before complaining, "Am I gonna be allowed to turn around anytime soon? I ain't gettin' any younger."

Megumi chuckled as she pulled on her uniform jacket but left it unbuttoned. "But in retrospect, you're not getting much older either. I mean, you've got a few more centuries before you die." She adjusted the hem of her skirt before continuing, "You can turn around now."

Shinji turned around and grinned devilishly at her as he absorbed the sight of her in her uniform. "Well, ain't ya just the pretty one. And I don't have a damn camera ta record the memory."

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Baka. There's a camera on that phone I bought you for Christmas."

Shinji gave her an incredulous look as he strode over to the nightstand with the alarm clock on it, opened the lone drawer on it, and pulled out his cell phone, scrutinizing it while holding it between his thumb and index finger. "I don't see no camera, koi."

Again, Megumi rolled her eyes and snatched the phone from him. She flipped it open, pushed a few buttons, and then pointed the camera at Shinji, purring sensually, "Smile, koibito."

Shinji flashed one of his grins, his thumbs resting casually in the waistband of his slacks, and Megumi snapped the picture before sending it to her phone as well. She gave him quick instructions on how to access and use the camera on his phone before handing it back to him. He pointed the camera at her, smirking as he said, "Pose fer me, Megumi-chan."

And pose, she did. She pulled her ponytail over her left shoulder, fluffing it lightly as she tilted her right hip and shoulder towards each other just slightly. She tucked her left arm behind her back and brought her right hand up to her collar bone in a coquettish gesture. For a finishing touch, she puckered her lips as though she were about to kiss him, as her eyelids drooped half-shut.

It took Shinji a few seconds to regain his wits after seeing the end result of Megumi's preening, but he managed to snap the picture. As soon as she heard the 'click' of the virtual shutter, Megumi relaxed before asking, "Could send a copy of that to my phone, Shinji?"

"Ehh? And just how would I do that?"

Megumi sighed and muttered something under her breath, but Shinji could have sworn he heard the words 'incompetent' and 'technology'. She quickly explained it to him and he didn't hesitate to send her the picture. Just as she was reaching down to her bag for her phone, someone banged on the door and Rose's voice called, "C'mon, Megumi! You need to get a move on if you don't want to be late!"

"Oh shit! Don't worry, I'm coming!" Megumi called back, grabbing her bag's shoulder-strap. She bolted out of the room and past Rose, who had been wise in moving out from in front of the doorway.

Shinji walked out of the room then, now wearing a gray undershirt in addition to his slacks, and scowled at Rose. "Didja really have to come and check on her? We were havin' fun."

"Yes. Yes, I did," Rose deadpanned. "Otherwise, knowing you, she would have missed school today."

"…you do realize that you're not really her older brother, right?"

Rose shrugged. "Does it really matter?"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

As she jumped down the stairs to the training room two or three at a time, Megumi looked over her shoulder and wondered what was taking Shinji and Rose so long. She turned her attention to the area below her and noticed Kensei reaching his fork towards a stack of fresh pancakes. Her pancakes.

Completely disregarding the fact she was wearing a skirt and no safety shorts, Megumi launched herself in the air and propelled herself at Kensei, prepping to give him a flying side kick. Her foot made contact with the side of his face and, because of the additional force from her momentum, he was sent rocketing and skidding several yards over the rocky terrain. "My pancakes, Kensei-baka!"

As chaos ensued from her actions… Kensei yelling at her for kicking him… Love and Hacchi shaking their heads at her brashness and Kensei's temper… Mashiro whining about Kensei being a 'doody-head'… Hiyori laughing her ass off… Shinji cheering her on as he came down the steps… Rose chuckling nervously as he came down the steps behind Shinji… Lisa…well, she was ignoring everything as she flipped through her new swimsuit magazine…

…Megumi couldn't help but smile as she realized how much she had missed her family. No matter how crazy they were.

**Okay...that was slightly corny, ne? And I hope the drama wasn't too sappy. If you have any thoughts or opinions, feel free to leave a review or PM me~~!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know, I know, it's been a while ^^" But I hope that this chapter makes up for lost time :)**

**This chapter includes a glimpse of one of the main antagonists (for Megumi, anyway) :3 So I'd like to hear your thoughts on it~~  
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><p>Megumi shunpoed into an alleyway that was nearly a block away from the high school and had to try to regain her footing as she almost tripped over some overturned trash cans. She tore out of the alley, cursing her rotten luck. Her playful argument with Kensei had blown out of proportion and had lasted a helluva long time. Now she was almost totally late for school. Of course, it wasn't all bad; during hers and Kensei's argument, Hacchi had taken the time to prepare a bento lunch for her to take with her.<p>

She stepped onto the school grounds in time to hear the first bell go off and quickened her pace even further, realizing that she still had a slim chance of technically being 'on time'. The windows, doors, and walls were a blur as she raced to her homeroom. Faintly, she could hear Ochi calling, "Sado."

She tried to lengthen her stride even more, but tripped over her own feet in the process. Her arms wouldn't respond to her command of coming up to guard her face, so she ended up falling flat on it. The resounding smack startled everyone in the classrooms that lined the hall, the people in her classroom in particular.

'Very smooth, Megumi-sama,' Buraido Dokuja commented sarcastically from her backpack as Megumi muttered choice swear words under her breath.

'Don't want to hear it right now,' Megumi quipped, slowly rising to her knees as Ochi come out of the classroom.

The teacher's eyes widened at the sight of Megumi kneeling on the floor and clutching her head. Ochi knelt down in front of her and inquired, "Oh! Tsumugiya-chan! Are you alright?"

Megumi nodded gingerly, muttering, "Yeah. Just give me an ice pack and some pain killers and I'll be right as rain. No need to go to the nurse."

"All right, if you're sure," Ochi responded, standing up and sticking her head into the classroom. "O~okay…Arisawa, come and help Tsumugiya get to her seat. Inoue, please go to the nurse's office and get some pain killers and an ice pack for Tsumugiya."

"Hai, Ochi-sensei," two female voices responded. Ochi walked back into the classroom as her classmates came out of it, Orihime tearing a path to the nurse's office and Tatsuki walking up to her.

Tatsuki chuckled as she knelt down and draped Megumi's arm over her shoulders to help support her as she stood up. "You know, Megumi-chan, it's not a big deal to be marked as 'tardy' every once in a while."

Megumi chuckled as well, barely managing to keep up with Tatsuki as she helped her walk into the classroom. "I just thought the same thing."

'Do not lie, Megumi-sama,' her Zanpaktou spirit chided.

'Are you absolutely sure you didn't mind being left in the living room last night? You sure seem to be in a sour mood today…' Megumi snapped in response as she slid her arm from around Tatsuki's neck and sat down in her desk. To Tatsuki, she muttered, "Thanks, Tatsuki-chan."

"No prob, Megumi-chan," Tatsuki responded, offering a slight wave as she walked back to her own desk.

At the same time, Doka mentally stated, 'Last night was not the issue. It was that whole week I had to spend in Mashiro-dono's possession.'

'Well, I've told you before and I'll tell you again. In _French_. _Je. Suis. Désolé_,' Megumi sighed irritably, pinching the bridge of her nose to try and fight away her headache.

Any response Buraido Dokuja might have had was drowned out by an annoyingly-chipper and unfamiliar voice that came from behind her. "Son of a…are you sure you shouldn't go to the nurse?"

Megumi had to stop for a minute. Had that voice just said…"son of a"? Without finishing the phrase? She craned her head around and saw the person sitting at the desk behind her. The girl was pretty small, probably only a head taller than Ururu. She had silky black hair and piercing violet eyes. While by those standards she seemed normal, something about the way she talked and held herself set off alarm bells in Megumi's head.

Despite those bells, Megumi found herself answering the girl's question. "Yeah. I'm fine, really. I just wish Orihime-chan would…"And no sooner had she said Orihime's name that said teenager came bounding back into the room, ice pack in one hand and Megumi guessed that she had the pain killers clutched tightly in her other hand.

"Here you go, Megumi-chan!" Orihime blurted, thrusting the items into her hands while looking at her with concern. In fact, it was enough concern that Megumi was positive that Orihime thought she was going to die from the bump on her head.

Megumi did her best smile assuringly, despite the fresh wave of piercing pain in her head, replying, "Thank you, 'Hime-chan."

She swiftly downed the pills after Orihime had given her a tentative nod and returned to her seat. As Megumi placed the ice pack on her forehead, Ochi stood up and announced, "All right, class. As I'm sure you've noticed, we have a new student here today. I understand that it's an unusual time to be receiving new students, but please, for the love of God, don't bug her about the details. Now, Kuchiki-san, could you please come to the front and tell us about yourself."

The girl sitting behind Megumi rose and walked confidently to the front of where Ochi had indicated. She cleared her throat, and with that chipper voice, said, "I'm Rukia Kuchiki. It's a pleasure to meet you all. As for why I'm here…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully "…let's just say that my family had to move here on short notice because of my father's job."

Ochi, who was now leaning against her desk, nodded in acknowledgement. "That's interesting. Tell us a bit more about yourself."

As Rukia began to talk, Megumi's vision blurred for a second, but was back to normal just as quickly. Her alarm bells were now blaring and, going off a gut feeling, she focused her energies outward, trying to get a grasp on this Rukia Kuchiki's reiraku. When her own spiritual pressure brushed against Rukia's reiraku, she immediately withdrew out of fear of being discovered as well as trepidation at who, or rather _what_, the seemingly young girl was.

Suddenly, her heart was pounding in her ears, her breaths came out labored and shallow, and sweat began beading on her forehead. Her vision suddenly swam, everything and everyone blurring together into a nauseating myriad of colors. She hid her head in her hands to block it out, but when the blackness encompassed her sight, a voice, eerily seductive and laced with venom and ice, drifted forth from the dark recesses of her mind.

'_Ah…such delectable reiatsu. What a fine time for her to arrive._'

In the pitch black of her eyesight, two luminous orbs suddenly opened and blinked once, revealing a set of double eyelids. Megumi loathed those eyes, those piercing emerald eyes, with a passion, for they belonged to the one person she absolutely abhorred.

Those loathsome orbs belonged to her other half, her _Hollow_, she thought disgustedly.

She could see the malicious mirth twinkling menacingly in those eyes, portraying the equally malicious grin that was undoubtedly on the Hollow's lush lips, with a threatening fang pointing down from each corner of her mouth. That deceivingly sweet voice was suddenly back again, filling every fiber of Megumi's being with cold dread at its next words.

'_It's almost my time to feed, is it not?_'

The sensation of falling hit her like a ton of bricks and her eyes snapped open in time to see the linoleum floor right before her head slammed into it.

* * *

><p>Shinji's head snapped in the direction of the stairs that lead up to the warehouse. He had felt another wave of reiatsu, similar to the one from last night, but at the same time, this one felt…different. For one, it was entirely sinister and, Shinji realized with alarm that he was familiar with it. But almost as soon as he noticed this last fact, the reiatsu died away. He remained as he was, though, continually staring at the stairs as though he expected an enemy of some kind to come barreling down them.<p>

"HEY, DUMBASS!" The warning came too late as both of Hiyori's sandaled feet slammed into the side of his head and used it as a springboard, sending him flying through the air, end over end. Eventually, he hit the ground and went tumbling in that same fashion over the rocky ground until he skidded to a stop some dozens of yards away.

Hiyori somersaulted a few times before landing in a crouch on one of the taller boulders in the immediate area. With just a thought, she dismissed her demonic mask, glaring at Shinji's prone form. "Hey, dumbass! I don't give a shit that you shagged Megumi last night, but I swear I'll kick your fucking ass if you don't pay attention!"

Shinji's first response was to present both of his middle fingers to her as he pulled himself up, the last bit of his Hollow mask vanishing as he did so. He sheathed Sakanade and waved his hand dismissively as he walked away from her. "I'm done here, snaggle-tooth. Fight Love or Lisa; I've got other things to take care of."

Hiyori sheathed Kubikiri Orochi before she shunpoed over to the kitchen area, yelling over her shoulder, "Whatever, ya damn geezer!"

Shinji merely rolled his eyes and made his way up to his room, where he tossed Sakanade onto his bed and began to shed his clothes as he made his way to the bathroom. His shower was unsurprisingly short, though he did keep enough presence of mind to not accidentally use any of Megumi's products. When he exited the shower, he absently wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to his walk-in closet.

Around the time he had dressed in everything except for a tie, he faintly heard the opening of his bedroom door. He stuck his head out of his closet to see Rose standing just within the doorway, one hand on the doorknob to hold it open. With an absolutely straight face, Shinji inquired, "Ya ever heard of knocking, Rose? It just might save ya from having to see me stark-ass naked someday."

Rose cracked a strained smile as he completely entered the room and shut the door behind him. "It hasn't happened yet, but I'm sure that I'll take your advice eventually." His mood sombered slightly before continuing, "I, uh…just got a call."

"Oh?" Shinji remarked offhandedly, emerging from the closet as he was fastening a tie about the collar of his shirt.

Rose took a deep breath, bracing himself for what reaction this next part might bring. "From Megumi's high school."

Shinji froze on the spot, his hands slower in finishing the fastening of his tie. The dread and apprehension he had felt not even ten minutes earlier came back with a sickening vengeance. His brown eyes hardened as he fixed his collar to rest over his tie, demanding, "What happened?"

"According to what the school nurse told me," Rose explained solemnly, "Megumi tripped in her haste to get to class and landed head first on the floor."

Shinji winced visibly at that. While he knew Megumi could take a few hits, he still knew how vulnerable Megumi was around humans.

"And then, not even a few minutes after she had taken a seat at her desk…"

"Wait a minute. She landed head first, on a linoleum floor, and she _still_ went to class?"

"Apparently."

Shinji groaned and scratched the top of his head. Sometimes, just sometimes, his lover could give him quite the headache with her single-minded determination.

At his fellow Vizard's silence, Rose continued, "Anyway, not even a few minutes later, she collapsed and fell out of her seat."

"Let me guess…"

"She lost conscious when she hit her head after falling out of her seat." Rose gave him a serious look. "Considering that the time frame would have her losing consciousness just after that wave of reiatsu hit here…"

Shinji slid his loafers on over the socks he had donned while Rose had been talking. "We should probably grab Hacchi and head over there. At best, we bring her here and give her the rest of today and tomorrow to relax."

Rose quirked an eyebrow. "And at worst?"

With a morose sigh, Shinji grabbed Sakanade off his bed and stated flatly, "We put her in quarantine until we're sure that damn Hollow of hers won't go on a feeding frenzy."

Rose despised the next word that came out of his mouth but knew that, when it came down to it, he'd have to agree with Shinji's plan regardless of how he felt. "Agreed."

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><p><strong>Oooooo, the drama is mounting BWAHAHA!<strong>

**That little box down there loves teh attention :D  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

_**Merry late Christmas, everybody! Here's a new Chapter of A Two-Way Blessing!**  
><em>

_**I would have had this posted on Christmas Day, but for some reason, FanFiction wouldn't work for me :(**_

_**To all the people who are subscribed to me, this story, or have put this story in their favorites, I deeply apologize for the lack of updates. I began college at the beginning of the summer and have had very little down time to work on any of my stories. I hope that this chapter, as well as the other chapters that I will be posting today, will more than make up for that.**_

_**Also look forward to New Year's! Not only will we be entering a new year, I'll be posting a special Holiday story~~!**_

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><p><em>She was terrified. Pure terror coursed through her every being as she stared down at the chain protruding from her chest, that disappeared into the water some ways below the bridge she was standing, or rather floating, on.<em>

_She was confused. She couldn't help but be bewildered at how her usual nighttime stroll ended so horribly, with a bullet in her head and her lifeless body tossed into the river._

_She was distraught. Now that she was dead and her body hidden, how could the perpetrator be brought to justice? Who would console her family?_

_Her thoughts were interrupted as there was a stirring just beneath the water's surface just a little ways away from where the chain was. A beautiful form, obviously a woman, began to rise from the inky blackness, stopping when her waist was just above the water's surface. A voice, sweeter than honey and softer than silk, drifted from the woman._

_'I ssense your desspair.' She raised a hand, a delicate finger beckoning the confused spirit. 'Come and I will help you.'_

_The spirit suddenly perked up and asked, 'Really, ane-san?'_

_A smile was the response she received. A smile that, under any other circumstances, would cause a bone-deep chill to course through her._

_'Yess.'_

Megumi's eyes snapped open and were met with the tan of one of the pillows from Shinji's bed. She could feel the sweat coating her in a thin sheen, causing her hair and uniform to cling to her form, and the rapid, frantic beating of her heart. She sighed and closed her eyes, taking deep and even breaths to try and bring everything back under control. As her heartbeat evened out, she tried to reach up and wipe some sweat from her brow.

And found that her arms wouldn't budge.

Panic once again surfacing, she jerked her head up to get an idea of what the hell was going on. The first thing that registered was the sight of the sky above. It was completely still, and that set Megumi's mind at ease somewhat. At least she knew where she was: either under the warehouse or under Urahara's shop. A deep, jovial voice floated through the still air behind her and she found herself straining to catch the conversation, unable as she was to flip over and see the source of the voice.

"There hasn't been a single trace of the reiatsu for several hours now." Hacchi. Well, that explained the bound arms. "I think it would be safe to release her arms and legs."

Now that he mentioned it, Megumi could also feel the bindings on her calves, allowing her to bend her knees but not separate her legs. She heard someone sigh before yet another person snorted.

"What? You're actually considering releasing her before she regains consciousness?" Kensei snapped. "Damn, I thought you had more sense you than that."

Catching on to who he was talking to before the other person answered, Megumi wasn't surprised when she heard Shinji snapping right back at Kensei. "Shut yer damn mouth, Kensei. And seein' how Hacchi's the best one out of all us at sensin' reiatsu-"

"Well, I ain't takin' that chance!" Kensei practically roared. "If you want to put the others in danger, you're doin' it over my dead body!"

"That can be arranged," was the menacing reply. That was when Megumi decided to intervene before blood was shed.

"I'd like to watch that, actually," she commented casually, almost as though she was discussing the weather. "But it's kind of hard to see ya'll from this position. Hacchin, if you would be so kind?"

A deep chuckle reverberated from said man before she felt the bindings dissipate. Her shoulders were understandably tender and stiff from how they had been positioned, so she began to roll and massage them tenderly once she sat up. As soon as she was satisfied with how her shoulders felt, she looked over her shoulder at the trio. Kensei looked like he was ready to murder someone; Shinji, like he didn't know what to do now that she was awake; and Hacchi appeared to be meditating. No surprise there.

She stood up slowly, all too familiar with the effects of getting up too quickly after losing consciousness. Upon gazing back over at Shinji and Kensei, who hadn't looked away from her yet, she asked waspishly, "Can I help either of you? 'Cause if you're quite done, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop staring at my ass."

Kensei sneered at her, turned on his heel and walked away from their little group. On the other hand, Shinji rolled his eyes and walked up to her casually, though Megumi could see just a hint of how tense he was from the slight rigidness in his shoulders.

"I guess I'm not done, then," he replied, small smile in place.

Megumi rolled her eyes this time before walking past Hacchi, giving the man a small peck on his cheek as she passed, and up the stairs to the common area. She turned on her heel and addressed Shinji, who had been keeping pace with her. "I take it you guys picked me up from school."

"Yeah. It was me, Kensei, and Hacchi this time, and we only had to modify the memories of the doc and his assistant," he answered as casually as he could.

Megumi sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly, bracing herself for the explanation she was about to give. "Listen, Shinji. I-" Suddenly she heard her phone's ringtone coming from her bag on the couch. She almost dove for it as a drowning man would dive for a lifeline, pulled her phone out, and answered it. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end made her freeze.

"_Oba-san?_" Ururu's sweet voice drifted through the earpiece, and Megumi shot Shinji a panicked look as she tapped her wrist to ask for the time. The Vizard gave her a curious glance before checking the clock on his phone and using his fingers to flash 4-1-2 to her. Before Megumi could say anything to her niece, Ururu spoke again, inquiring, "_Oba-san, are you there?_"

"Y-yeah, I'm here, sweetie," Megumi hastily replied, checking to make sure she still had everything from her school uniform on. By now, Shinji looked concerned as his lover grabbed her book bag and made to leave. "Are you at the café yet?"

"_Hai, oba-san._"

"Well, don't worry. I'll be there in a-!" Megumi's sentence was cut short by Shinji suddenly grabbing her phone and snapping it shut with one hand while the other grabbed her other arm. The young woman spun on her heel, spitting, "What the hell, Shinji?!"

Shinji's brown eyes were intent on boring a hole through her, but Megumi was too livid to notice as he declared, "You're not going."

"The hell I'm not! I promised Ururu that I'd meet her today to help comfort her about something she discussed with me, and you are NOT going to tell me otherwise, Shinji Hirako!" Megumi protested as she shrugged his hand off of her arm, her voice rising in volume upon reaching the final phrase.

Shinji wanted to groan, roll his eyes, smack her, kiss her, and make love to her all at once when she yelled at him, but somehow he maintained his composure enough that his response, while strained with anger, was, "I am so fucking telling you not to go, and you know damn well why."

The two were either ignorant to the fact that the rest of the Vizards were gathering to investigate all the noise, or they were simply ignoring them. Whichever was the case, Megumi snatched her phone back from her increasingly-irate lover and shoved it in her bag. "Then if you're so concerned about my wellbeing, feel free to tag along, but I. AM. GOING!"

The last of Shinji's nerves snapped then, and for the first time in a long time, shouted right back at his hot-headed girlfriend. "Fine! Have it your way!"

Megumi gave him a curt nod and turned around to open the door, when Shinji continued, "I'd like to see how you fare without the rest of us there to help subdue your Hollow when she decides to chow down on the nearest living creature. I wonder who will be closest…"

"Oh, that's right. It will be your nie-"

While he normally would have seen it coming, right now Shinji's judgment was clouded over by the rage and irritation he was feeling. Shinji didn't have enough presence of mind this time around to counter or even defend himself against the punch that Megumi whirled around and delivered square to his jaw, sending him flying into the wall near where Love and Hiyori had situated themselves. Initially, his ears were ringing to the point that he didn't hear Mashiro's shriek or even Kensei shouting at Megumi, but when his hearing cleared up and his vision stopped swimming, he was met with an image of Megumi, betrayal and loathsome rage etched on her normally serene features, huffing while she held her stance from her punch. Then she opened up her mouth.

"Go to fucking hell, Hirako!"

With that final sentence hanging in the air, she left the warehouse, slamming the metal door behind her.

No one moved from their spots for what felt like an eternity before Rose's calm voice broke the tension. "Kensei, Mashiro, Love, please follow her. Keep your distance and just keep an eye on her for the time being, but don't hesitate to move in and subdue her if necessary."

The three Vizards he called out left through the same door Megumi had as he crossed over to Shinji, who was sitting on the ground rubbing his jaw tenderly. Rose sighed, and continued on, "Hacchi, patch him up. If his fears hold ground, we're going to need everyone on hand."

Hacchi simply nodded and was making his way over to Shinji when Rose spat, "What the hell did you think you were going to accomplish by taking a stab at her like that?"

The skinny Vizard simply gave a small humph and allowed Hacchi to begin healing him. His brown eyes suddenly fell on Hiyori, who hadn't moved from her spot or said anything since the beginning of the argument. She was just staring at him with what he assumed was a blank expression until she opened her mouth.

"God, you can be such a fucking asshole."

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><p><em><strong>So what do you think?<strong>_

_**That last part with the argument between Shinji and Megumi was something that I hadn't tried to write before. I hope I did the situation justice, and let you all know that while they may love each other, they can still butt heads (and punch them, in Megumi's case). Let me know what you thought of the argument scene in your review or in a PM, if you wish.  
><strong>_

_**Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! See you on New Year's!**_


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